Lunch: Khara Pongal

Recipe by SUSMITA Pongal is a classic pooja dish in south India. You can think of it as south Indian khichdi. When I was a child, I always waited for Temple prasadam and when it was pongal, I was delighted.

Ingredients

1/4 cup cooking oil
12 cashews
2 dried red chile peppers
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
10 black peppercorns
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1 cup split yellow lentils (moong dal)
1 cup rice
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 green chile peppers, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
salt to taste
3 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons ghee
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Fry the cashews in the hot oil until golden brown; remove from oil and set aside. Cook the red chile peppers, cumin seed, mustard seed, peppercorns, and asafoetida in the hot oil for 2 minutes. Stir the lentils into the mixture and cook another 2 minutes. Add the rice, 1/2 cup coconut, green chile peppers, turmeric, salt, and water; stir.
Close the lid of the pressure cooker and bring to 15 pounds of pressure; cook about 35 minutes. Relieve the pressure from the cooker; stir the cashews and ghee into the mixture. Garnish with the cilantro and 1/4 cup shredded coconut to serve.

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